The two years, two months, and two days Henry David Thoreau spent at Walden Pond represent one of the most well-known experiences in American literary and philosophical history. Thoreau's time at Walden has become something of a legend, one that is alternately lionized and criticized.
Yet though many people know of Thoreau's experience at Walden, and the book he wrote about it, far fewer really understand its whys, whats, and hows.
My guest, who's dedicated his career to studying Thoreau, will unpack the oft-missed nuances and common misconceptions about Walden. His name is Jeffrey S. Cramer, and he's the Curator of Collections at The Walden Woods Project, as well as the author and editor of numerous books about Thoreau, including Walden: A Fully Annotated Edition. Today on the show, Jeffrey explains the reason Thoreau went to Walden, which wasn't originally to write about that experience, and which ended up evolving over time. We discuss what Walden Pond was like, the dimensions and furnishings of the house Thoreau built on its shores, and how he spent his days there. Jeffrey explains why Thoreau left Walden, how he was less attached to the experience than we commonly assume, and how the significance of the experience came less from living it and more from writing about it. We then discuss how Walden the book became a classic despite an initially slow start, before turning to what Jeffrey thinks of the common criticisms of it, and the popular impulse to tear Thoreau down. We end our conversation with what we moderns can learn from Thoreau's experiment with living deliberately.
Resources Related to the EpisodeAdvice on Making Love Last . . . From a Divorce Lawyer
Unlock the Power of the Unfocused Mind
The Life We're Looking For
The Psychology of Effective Weight Loss
The Most Insightful Personality Test
Why We Fight
Finally Learn to Say No
Set Your Future Self Up for Success
The Fourth Turning — How History's Crisis Period Could Unfold
Here's What It Could Look Like to Put the Trades Back in School
The Science of Getting Psyched Up
Thick Desires, Political Atheism, and Living an Anti-Mimetic Life
Master Microtransitions to Improve the Happiness, Success, and Flow of Your Life
Would You Have Been a Patriot or a Loyalist?
How to Read a Tree
Stop Being a Complainer
Become a Morning Workout Person
Cormac McCarthy, The Road, and Carrying the Fire
How Emerson Can Help You Become a Stoic Nonconformist
The Rise and Fall of the Golden Age of Action Heroes
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Renewing Your Mind with R.C. Sproul
Today, Explained
Freakonomics Radio
Morning Wire